JLR sees 5 per cent sales growth for 2015

JaguarLandRover (JLR) has achieved its best ever full year global sales performance in 2015, retailing 487,065 vehicles, up 5 five cent on the prior year.

Palmer heads up Aston Martin

Andy Palmer is the new chief executive officer of Aston Martin. He has spent the last 24 years with Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK where latterly he has been chief planning officer and executive vice president.

Palmer, 51, assumes operational responsibility for all aspects of Aston Martin business and thus one of his prime interests no doubt will be to turn the company round and put it on a long-term profitable footing.

Lagonda rises phoenix-like from Gaydon

Aston Martin has once more dipped into its heritage box in search of treasures to please Middle East shareholders and customers, and bolster turnover and profit.

After the initial production (and financial) debacle of the Aston Martin Rapide, first rolled out in 2010 at the Magna Steyr facility in Graz, Austria and then repatriated back to the company’s facility at Gaydon, Warwickshire, Aston Martin has confirmed a bespoke product programme for a new super saloon aimed at reviving the historic Lagonda nameplate in a strictly limited series.

Aston to share Daimler V8 powertrains

Aston Martin, which has achieved a 13 per cent increase in revenue for 2013 to £519 million, is to share development of “world-class bespoke V8 powertrains” with Mercedes AMG.

Aston Martin Holdings (UK) Limited, in announcing its full year results for the 12 months ended 31 December 2013, also revealed full-year EBITDA up 22 per cent to £84.8 million.

Aston Martin follows Bentley with SUV

Aston Martin’s Lagonda’s sport utility vehicle (SUV) has moved a step closer to reality and will be a joint development with Mercedes AMG.

The idea, first mooted with the Lagonda concept vehicle launched at the Geneva Motor Show in 2009, must have been hastened with the news last March that Bentley would develop an SUV, taking that marquee into unchartered waters.

Volkswagen AG has set the pace in developing SUVs in Europe, not only through its own brands but through links with Porsche.

Mini destined for India

For the first time since the relaunch of Mini in 2001, preparations are under way for the local production of the brand in several growth markets outside Europe. As a result, cars from the British premium brand will be rolling off assembly lines in India for first time later this year.

Local production for the Mini Countryman is now being prepared at the BMW plant in Chennai (formerly Madras). The plant meets the same stringent quality standards applied to all production of BMW Group models.

The new assembly facility has been brought on stream just a year after the start of Mini sales in India and will help to meet the steadily increasing demand for the cars in the Indian market.